Seven cultural highlights in Abu Dhabi for the weekend of October 16‑18 2026
Abu Dhabi’s cultural calendar is packed this weekend, offering alternatives to staying indoors as the weather improves. From anime screenings and an oud‑led orchestral premiere to Indian dandiya dancing, hands‑on art workshops and interactive exhibits, residents have plenty of options for big‑stage brilliance, creative participation or group‑activity fun.
Music and Orchestral Performance
The UAE National Orchestra’s Harmony brings celebrated oud player Naseer Shamma together with composer Richard Dubugnon for a programme exploring the conversation between Arabic and Western traditions. The evening features the world premiere of Dubugnon’s Double Concerto for Ney and Cello, with Rami Ourabi on ney and Sary Khalifé on cello. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance starts at 8:00 pm on October 16 at The Arts Center of NYU Abu Dhabi. Expect an evening of musical dialogue.
Anime Screenings and Concert
At the Cultural Foundation, Anime Film Week treats Japanese animation as a big‑screen art form. On Friday, October 16, Ponyo screens at 4:00 pm followed by Attack on Titan: The Last Attack at 7:00 pm. Saturday, October 17 offers Laputa: Castle in the Sky at 3:00 pm, and Sunday, October 18 presents Kiki’s Delivery Service at 3:00 pm and One Piece Film: Red at 7:00 pm. All films are shown in Japanese with subtitle options that vary by title. Additionally, the Anime Memories concert on Saturday at 8:00 pm turns beloved anime themes into live music.
Creative Workshops and Family Activities
Artist Nada Almosa invites participants to her Interventions on Memory and Musical Ephemera workshop at 421 Arts Campus on October 17 from noon to 4:00 pm. Attendees create an eight‑fold zine housed inside a cassette case, using family photographs, analogue music memorabilia, writing, guided recollection, collage and pressed botanicals to turn a song into a personal archive. No artistic credentials are required; lunch and a take‑home artist kit are included.
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s family art‑making sessions, themed Snakes and Ladders, run on October 17 and 18, with the Saturday session from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Children examine objects in the collection, explore the game’s routes and rules, then design their own board. The workshop itself is free, although museum admission is required.
Festive Dance and Interactive Exhibits
Tanishq presents Red Dot Dandiya Beatz 2026, a six‑hour celebration of Indian music and community at 321 Sports Football on Hudayriyat Island. The event runs from 6:00 pm to midnight on October 17, featuring dandiya dancing, a DJ, live performances, contests and vegetarian food stalls. Beginners are welcome, children under ten enter free, and a shuttle operates from the Hudayriyat parking zone to the event gate.
The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi hosts LEGO SHOWS Natural Brickstory until November 8. Open Friday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 8:30 pm, the exhibit includes zones devoted to dinosaurs, minerals, plants, animals and space, a chance to build a LEGO rocket, collaborative builds inspired by the museum’s collection, and a Guinness World Records attempt to construct the world’s largest LEGO‑brick prehistoric mammal. Participation is included with museum admission.
Bubble Planet at Al Ain Square in Al Ain offers 11 immersive rooms of oversized balloons, optical illusions, glowing landscapes and a pink ball pit, plus a hot‑air‑balloon simulator and VR experiences. Visitors should allow 60 to 90 minutes for the experience, plus travel time. Opening times are Friday from 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and Saturday–Sunday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, with the attraction running until November 7.
